Umbrella-frame.



G. J. PILGER.

UMBRELLA FRAME.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.1, 191s.

, 1,085,47 9. Patented Jan. 27, 1914. I

glwuewtoz GJ. Pi lg e r nnrrnn srarns PATENT OFFE G B E J. PILG ER, E S BrANTQ SYL A IA; 0F O E AL T0 PETER ST Q S BAN'JJ- PENNSY VA IA,

UM REL A-EBA To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE J. PILGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Scranton, in the county of Lackawanna and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Umbrella-Frames, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in umbrellas, parasols and the like and has for its primary object the provision of new and novel means for detachably mounting the ribs and bracing rods upon the umbrella rod or stick whereby they may be easily and quickly removed for the purpose of repair.

A more specific object of the invention resides in the provision of a head member mounted upon the umbrella rod and provided with a plurality of radially disposed slots opening into an internal annular groove, the umbrella rod being provided with an opening with which the slots in said head are adapted to be brought into registering relation, and ribs provided. with spherical terminations disposed in said annular groove in the head, theterminals of said rods being adapted for. engagement in the opening in said'rod when the same are inserted or removed from the slots in said head.

Another object of the invention is to provide a head loosely mounted upon the rum brella rod and provided with means to receive the ends of the ribs, said rod being provided with means cooperating with the means on said head whereby the rib may be removed or attached from or to the head,

' and a spring pressed element mounted in the rod to prevent rotation or longitudinal movement of the head and to retain the ribs in assembled relation therewith.

Still another object of the invention is to generally improve and simplify the construction of devices of the above character, to increase the ease and facility with which the parts thereof may be assembled or disassembled and to produce a construction which is extremely strong and durable in use and may be manufactured at comparatively small cost.

With the above and other objects in view as will become apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain Specification of Letters Batent.

Application filed February 1, 1913.

Patented Jan. 27, 1914. Serial no. 745,754.

constructions, combinations and arrangements of the parts that I shall hereinafter fully describe and claim.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of an umbrella or parasol frame structure, most of the ribs and bracing arms being removed. Fig, 2 is an enlarged section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the runner, partly in section. Fig. 5 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional View showing the head member in its lowered position.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 5 designates the umbrella or parasol rod or stick which in the present instance is constructed of tubular steel or other metal. Upon this rod adjacent its upper end, the head member 6 is loosely mounted. The runner 7 which is movable upon the rod or stick 5 with relation to said head member is constructed in a similar manner to the latter and the detail description of one of these parts will therefore sufiice for both.

The head member 6 as shown in detail in Fig. 2 is provided in its bottom face with a plurality of radially disposed slots or re cesses 8 which open at their outer ends upon the periphery of said head. The inner ends of these slots which open into the central bore of said member that receives the rod 5 are in communication with an annular groove 9 provided in the wall of said bore.

10 designates the radially extending ribs to which the covering of the umbrella is attached in any approved manner. These ribs are provided at their inner ends with the spherical terminations 11, the same being of greater diameter than the width of the slots or grooves 8 in the head 6. The umbrella rod or stick is provided with an opening indicated at 12 and across this opening a locking pawl or dog 13 extends. This locking pawl 'is pivotally mounted at its lower end within the hollow tubular rod and the opposite end thereof is normally forced outwardly through a longitudinal slot 14 in the rod which bisects the opening 12, by means of a leaf spring 15, arranged within said rod. This spring pressed locking dog when the head is locked upon the rod, has its upper or free end disposed between the spherical terminals of adjacent ribs 10, and effectually prevents any turning or rotative movement of the head, the end of said dog abutting against the wall of the annular groove 9 at the edge of the central opening in said head also preventing downward movement thereof. The head 6 is held against upward sliding movement upon the rod or stick by means of a pin 16 disposed transversely through said rod.

In order to remove any one of the ribs 10 which are connected to the head 6, the spring pressed dog 13 is pressed inwardly through the slot 14 in the rod so that the upper recessed edge of said dog indicated by the numeral 17 is disposed beyond the inner end of the opening 12. The head is then moved downwardly so that the upper end thereof will engage the free end of the locking dog and hold the same in its depressed position and the spherical end of one of the ribs is disposed contiguous to said opening. By now forcing the end of the rib inwardly into said opening, and then swinging the same downwardly toward the rod, said rib may be quickly detached from the head by simply forcing the head upwardly to its original or normal position. In this manner, the ribs may be separately removed from the head in which they are mounted without necessitating the removal of the head from the rod or the detachment of all of the ribs from said head.

As above stated, the runner 7 is of similar construction to the head 6, the spherical terminals on the lower ends of the bracing arms 18 being connected to said runner in the manner above described. The rod or stick 5 is provided with a second opening 19 adjacent its lower end portion to receive the spherical ends of the bracing arms, and within the rod, a stop bar 20 is disposed across said opening so as to prevent the arms from being forced entirely through said opening. This runner rotates freely upon the rod and also moves longitudinally thereon to open or close the umbrella cover. The rib is provided with the usual spring pressed holding dogs adjacent the handle and the head 6 to hold this runner at the extremes of its movement. A sleeve 28 is arranged between the runner 7 and the rod or stick 5 and extends at one of its ends below said sleeve, such extension being provided with a longitudinal slot 29 to receive the usual spring holding dog, (not shown) provided upon the rod whereby the umbrella cover may be retained in its open or closed position. The upper end of the sleeve 28 is provided upon the opposite side thereof with relation to the slot 29, with a notch or recess 30 which is adapted to coincide with the opening 19 in the rod 5 when the bracing arms 18 are to be removed. Normally, however, this notch is out of registering relation with the opening 19 and serves to prevent the spherical ends 11 of the arms from binding against the rod or stick as the runner 7 is moved longitudinally thereon, thus permitting of a free and easy opening or closing movement of the umbrella. 1

The outer ends of the bracing arms 18 are connected by means of a ball and socket with the ribs 10. To this end, I employ in the preferred form of the invention, a plate 21 which is securely fixed to the rib in any preferred manner and embraces the same, said plate being bent around said rib in substantially U shaped form to provide spaced ears 22. These ears are formed with central outwardly struck portions 23 to form sockets in their inner faces which receive the outer spherical terminals 24 of the bracing arms 18. It will thus be seen that there is a free nonbinding movement of the ribs and arms with relation to each other when the runner is moved longitudinally upon the rod. I

From the foregoing, it is thought that the construction and manner of operation of my improved umbrella or parasol frame Wlll be fully understood. Any one or all of the ribs and bracing arms may be easily and quickly detached fromthe head and the runner without requiring the use of tools of any kind. Thus the repair and replacement of the several parts of the frame structure is rendered easy and quick of accomplishment. Owing to the extremely simple form of the several elements employed, it will be appreciated that the device as a whole is extremely strong and durable in practical use and may be produced at a nominal cost.

lVhile I have shown and described the preferred construction and arrangement of the several parts, it will be understood that the invention is susceptible of considerable modification without departing from the essential features or sacrificingany of the advantages thereof.

Having thus described the invention,

what is claimed is:

1. The combination of a rod, a head loosely mounted upon said rod and provided in one face with a plurality of radial slots, said head also having an annular groove with which the inner ends of the slots communicate, said rod being provided with an opening with which the inner ends of the slots are adapted to be brought into register, ribs having spherical terminations to be disposed in said opening in the rod whereby the same may be seated in the annular groove and the ribs engage in said slots, and a spring pressed element mounted in the rod and projected through the opening thereof to engage between the spherical terminals on adjacent ribs, and hold said head against rotation.

2. The combination of a rod, a head loosely mounted thereon provided in one face with a plurality of radial slots and having an annular groove into which the inner ends of said slots open, said rod being provided with an opening with which the inner ends of said slots are adapted to be brought into register, ribs having spherical terminals for engagement in the opening in the rod whereby the same may be seated in the annular groove and the ribs engaged in the slots in said head, and a longitudinally disposed spring pressed locking dog mounted in the rod and intersecting the opening thereof, said dog engaging between the terminals of adjacent ribs to hold the head against rotation and retain the ribs in connection therewith.

3. The combination of a rod, a head looselymounted thereon provided in one face with a plurality of radial slots and an internal annular groove into which the inner ends of said slots open, said rod having an opening with which the inner ends of said slots are adapted to be brought into register, a longitudinally disposed looking dog pivotally mounted at one of its ends within said rod and extending across said opening, a spring bearing against said dog to normally force the free end of the same outwardly beyond the periphery of the rod, said latter end of the dog being provided with a recess in its edge for engagement by the ends of the ribs, the free end of said dog engaging between the ends of adjacent ribs, to hold the head against rotation and retain the ribs in connection therewith, said dog also holding said head against sliding movement in one direction on the rod, and a stop pin mounted in the rod to prevent movement of the head in the opposite direction.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE J. PILGER.

Witnesses CARL SCULL, HARRY STIPP.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

